Body mass of wild ring-tailed lemurs in Berenty Reserve,Madagascar, with reference to tick infestation: a preliminary analysis |
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Authors: | Naoki Koyama Mitsuru Aimi Yoshi Kawamoto Hirohisa Hirai Yasuhiro Go Shinichiro Ichino Yukio Takahata |
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Institution: | (1) The Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan;(2) Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan;(3) The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan;(4) Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan;(5) School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda 669-1337, Japan |
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Abstract: | In 1999, we measured the body mass of 101 wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) inhabiting the Berenty Reserve, Madagascar. In addition, we counted the number of ticks Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) lemuris Hoogstraal, 1953] infesting their facial skin and external auditory meatuses. For both males and females, the body mass appeared
to increase until the age of 3 years. With the apparent exception of infants, there were no sexual differences in body mass.
Within a group, higher-ranked adult males tended to be heavier than lower-ranked males. In contrast, there was no consistent
correlation between the body mass of females and their ranks. Among the study groups, there was a small difference in body
mass and significant difference in the number of ticks infesting the facial skin and external auditory meatuses. In particular,
lemurs of a group who inhabited an area of gallery forest in the study area exhibited the smallest values of body mass and
were severely infested with ticks. Such group variations were not consistently correlated with the reproductive parameters
of the study groups. In three groups moderately infested with ticks, ticks infested adult males and subadults more heavily
than adult females, juveniles, and infants. |
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Keywords: | Body mass Ectoparasites Lemur catta Primates Sexual dimorphism |
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